Crossing the line
Desiderata Sailing Log
Stuart Armstrong and Julia Neustein
Thu 7 Oct 2010 01:02
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Tonight we will cross the line, the equator
line.
It is a maritime tradition to perform a
crossing-the-line ceremony if there are any sailors aboard who have not yet
'crossed'. We decided that we all qualified for this. It was also decided that
it would be more fun to do it in daylight, so we stopped slightly short of the
equator to carry it out.
For the ceremony a Neptune (Peter) an Amphitrite
(Andrea) and the Pollywogs (Stuart and Rupert) are needed, we didn't have a Davy
Jones. The Pollywogs are brought before the court of Neptune Rex with his Queen,
Her Highness Amphitrite. They are smothered in cold porridge as a slimy blessing
and then dunked in the sea. When all this is done Neptune Rex reads out the
following proclamation...
Whereas by our Royal Constitution Our Trusty, Well
Beloved;
(Stuart / Rupert / Andrea / Peter) has this day
entered Our Domain.
We do hereby declare to all whom it may concern
that it is Our Royal Will and Pleasure to confer upon him the Freedom of the
Seas without undue ceremony.
Should he/she fall overboard, We do command that
all Sharks, Dolphins, Whales, Mermaids and other dwellers in the Deep are to
abstain from maltreating his/her person.
And we further direct all Sailors, Solders, Airmen
and others who have not crossed Our Royal Domain, to treat him/her with the
respect due to One of Us.
Given under Our Hand at Our court on board the
Sailing Yacht Desiderata. On the Equator in Longitude 42 degrees. On this, the
6th day of October in the year of 2010.
It was great fun and very
messy.
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